Why Chris Martin Turned Down Previous Chance To Join Red Sox

After spending time in the Red Sox organization a decade ago, Chris Martin had a chance to reunite with Boston in the spring of last year.

But the right-hander, who pitched across four levels of minor league baseball with the Red Sox between 2011 and 2013, turned down the offer from Chaim Bloom and company.

Martin was coming off stints with the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and a few years in Japan when he signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs in March 2022. The Red Sox made a similar pitch to the veteran reliever, but he didn’t believe a return to Boston was the best move for him at the time.

“I had the opportunity to come to Boston. But it was a weird situation,” Martin recently told The Boston Globe. “I was coming off a not-so-good year and did I want to go pitch in the AL East or the NL Central?

“I decided the NL Central would be a better situation for my career.”

Martin made 34 appearances for the Cubs last season before he was traded to the Dodgers. After finishing the campaign in Los Angeles, the 37-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox this past December.

“It came back around and I’m glad it did,” told the Globe on Wednesday. “This has been a great situation.”

It’s safe to assume the feeling is mutual for the Red Sox. Boston landed a sure hand in Martin, who entered Thursday with a 1.34 ERA and 1.017 WHIP over 40 1/3 innings. And if the Red Sox manage to secure an American League playoff spot, the late-game tandem of Martin and All-Star closer Kenley Jansen will be a big reason why you won’t be able to count Boston out as a World Series contender.

The Red Sox won all but three of the 17 games Martin pitched in since July thus far. Boston will try to carry out that trend Thursday in the series finale against Washington at Nationals Park.